Enough?

A limit, a turning point, a threshold, a point of no return, out of tolerance and patience

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. Edmund Burke

He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. Muhammad Ali

I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do. Leonardo da Vinci 

  Is there a point where we get sufficiently fed up, frustrated, disappointed; and whatever the reason we must take action? Have we had enough of present circumstances? Is it a time to do something? Is enough enough?

    Most of us have had thresholds of “enough”. It is the point at which we had it with whatever the conditions and circumstances had become; we were mad, frustrated or angry. It became time to take some type of action. Most of us probably fall into the category of being easy going, mild-mannered, leaving well enough alone, and not liking to make waves or a ruckus. We also, are likely to be of a nature where we will take something only for so long or for so much, and then we will erupt from our complacency. This may apply to personal situations; relationships, issues at work, even politics. If things go on long enough, if they persist, we reach our limit and take action. Sometimes things have to really get our attention before we take action to do something.

    We may have a limit of what is enough when it comes to the world at large. Things go on that frustrate us, hassle us and cause us anguish. We see things going in the wrong direction, bad decisions being made, and things we deem important and even sacred being torn down or defiled. Our leaders may be taking things in the wrong direction. Most of us are very tolerant, and would rather not get involved. We would rather let someone else deal with it. If we do nothing, long enough, we may end up waiting too long, and that which we cared about, but took for granted may no longer exist or be damaged beyond repair. If we turn blind eyes to things going on we disagree with and are opposed to, we may live to regret we took no action. Bad things will keep happening.   

   As individuals or as a group there becomes a point where enough becomes enough. It may be a personal issue that has gone on long enough. It becomes time for us to take action and resolve it. It may be something much bigger that needs our involvement to help stem the tide from going in the wrong direction. Sometimes, we have to stop, take a stand, and do something to make things better.

Challenge: Are you a person who takes a stand when enough is enough? Do you stand up for things you believe in? Are you proactive or too passive? Sometimes inaction does not seem to cost too much. However, sometimes failure to act on things that are really important may result in regrettable consequences you will later greatly regret. It is a good idea to always consider the consequences of your inaction and let that be your guide.

Wisdom: Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough. Oprah Winfrey 

Spiritual: (NIV)

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. Hebrews 10:36

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

Having a spirit of love that guides us and direct us goes a long way toward keeping us on the right track. Overcoming selfishness and self-centeredness helps us to want to do things for others. We should be motivated to be a good steward, witness and a good example to others. The more we have these things in us and working through us, the more likely it is we are involved and participating in helping to make the world a better place.

Prayer: Help me to overcome my selfish ways and to learn to have a more loving attitude.